Damar Hamlin, a defensive back, has a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills. That does not imply, however, that he has not considered donning the black and gold.
On February 24, Hamlin expressed to reporters that he would “dream” of finishing his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I was in the stadium because I played at Pitt, you know,” Hamlin remarked, according to Bill Leino of Steel City Collectibles. “I played for Pitt and the WPIAL at Heinz Field for about eight years in a row.
“To end my career as a Steeler would be a dream come true.”
Born and raised in McKees Rocks, Hamlin attended Central Catholic High School, one of the top football programs in western Pennsylvania. Every year, the program advances to the WPIAL championships, which are held at the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Then, from 2016 to 20, Hamlin performed at Pitt. Heinz Field, which was renamed Acrisure Stadium in 2022, is also home to Pitt.
In the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Bills selected Hamlin with the 212th overall pick. For Buffalo, he has made 34 appearances in his first three NFL seasons.
Damar Hamlin Expresses a Wish to Remain in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers
It’s a bit unexpected that Hamlin expressed his desire to play for the Steelers in the future with such candor. He has a 2024 contract with Buffalo, as was previously mentioned.
Since Hamlin’s breakdown on the field in Week 17 of the 2022 season, the Bills have also been unwavering supporters of the player.
As a rookie, Hamlin largely participated in special teams play. He then established himself as the Bills’ starting safety in 2022, playing 846 defensive snaps. However, Hamlin collapsed to the pitch on January 2, 2023, during a tackle, and he lay there motionless for a number of minutes.
After recuperating, he acknowledged that he had experienced an episode of commotio cordis, an extremely uncommon ailment where a hit to the chest causes the heart’s rhythm to be disturbed. If treatment is not received within three minutes, the illness is 97% deadly, according to the National Library of Medicine.
After the event, Hamlin fully recovered and was back with the Bills in 2023. Ever since, he has served as an inspiration not only in Buffalo but around the league.
Fans of the Bills would probably find it tough to watch the team leave with Hamlin. But it’s a business, the NFL. With his consideration of maybe wrapping off his career somewhere else, Hamlin seems to be aware of that.
In five regular season games in 2023, Hamlin made a comeback to play 111 snaps. Seventeen of those snaps were in defense mode.
He participated in both of the team’s postseason games.
Hamlin’s Association with the Pittsburgh Steelers and City
Prior to signing with the Bills in 2021, Hamlin played football for the Pittsburgh Steelers throughout whole career. That makes Hamlin’s preferred future destination—the Steelers—obviously evident.
More depth at safety would be beneficial for the Steelers. Hamlin may be useful on special teams as well. Therefore, the 25-year-old may have been a target for the Steelers if he had been a free agency in March.
But Hamlin will be in Buffalo for the 2024 campaign unless the Bills dismiss him.
Though it’s still a pipe dream, one might hope that Hamlin will eventually return to Pittsburgh and represent the home team at Acrisure Stadium.
Hamlin has recorded 95 total tackles in 34 NFL games, with 3 quarterback hits and 6 tackles for loss. He has also racked up 1.5 sacks and 4 pass defenses.